Retail Rebound and the Future of the Store
How a digital workplace helps retailers meet rising customer expectations with a smaller, less experienced store workforce.
Key findings
- Shoppers estimated close to 75% of their retail spending occurred online over the course of the year, up from less than 40% pre-pandemic.
- Roughly 60% of U.S. shoppers said they would choose not to buy from a retailer that lacked a BOPIS option.
- About 50% of shoppers would shop somewhere else if the store lacked return anywhere, curbside pickup, or online inventory visibility.
Summary
The pandemic permanently reshaped retail, entrenching omni-channel shopping and adding operational complexity. At the same time, pandemic-era layoffs and furloughs left stores with a less experienced, lower-skilled, and more expensive workforce, even as customer expectations for in-store and omni-channel service continued to rise.
This analyst brief, written by Jon Duke, Research Vice President at IDC Retail Insights, examines how digital workplace solutions for frontline associates improve task compliance, streamline communication, and accelerate learning. Consumer statistics are drawn from IDC’s Retail Consumer Insights Survey of September 2020.
What you’ll learn
- How customer shopping behavior has shifted and what it means for store operations.
- How to support a shrinking, less experienced, and more expensive store workforce.
- How a digital workplace helps retailers overcome today's most pressing operational and financial challenges.
